There is nothing like government without machineries who steer the affairs of governance. But there's a caveat here; the sanctity of the personality of these machineries determines the quality of governance in any polity, especially in a nation struggling to survive like Nigeria, and a state that was hitherto as backward as Osun.
The hitherto backward state of Osun has been growing by leaps and bounds taken a giant step foreword in the last couple of years courtesy of the sanctity of the personage steering the affairs of the state.
If not for Oyetola's 'holiness', Osun would have stagnated for obvious reasons; when there was no Covid, when the situation was bad, but not as worse as it is now, in terms of inflation and devaluation of currency, the state could hardly perform its statutory recurrent expenditure obligations (especially without recourse to borrowing). And even when it borrowed, it still could not.
Sincerely, a sound mind which is not unaware of the peculiar predicaments of Osun state would marvel at Oyetola's ability in stabilizing the economy of the state given its known low profile as an agrarian, and least-FAAC receiving state in the comity of the 36 states of the Federation.
A discernible mind which is not oblivious of the tribulations Osun had suffered resulting from eight (8) months of post electoral litigations, and elongated period of coronal virus-occasioned uncertainties, when there was no governance, as there were neither government businesses nor gains, would be amazed by the state's unbelievable viability, ability and economic stability in its performance of recurrent expenditure obligations (prompt payment of full salaries, pensions, et cetera) within these trying times!
This wouldn't have never happened without the 'sanctity of the personality (Oyetola) navigating the machinery of government in the state.
Osun state governor, Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola deserves more trophies than he had been offered. On a critical examination, one would discover that out of two and a half years (30 months) of his assumption of office, Oyetola had only spent nine (9) months of concentrated, or better put, uninterrupted governance. And that was between July 5, 2019, when the Supreme Court confirmed, affirmed and upheld his mandate as the duly elected Executive Governor of Osun state, and March 2020, when Covid-19 took over governments across the world, as though there was a global coup d'etat.
Within this period, opposition made failed legal attempts to wrestle power from Oyetola. There and then, with the outbreak of its deadly virus, Covid-19 stylistically toppled governments all over the world, including, of course, the state of Osun. And when the virus also failed to kick Oyetola out of government, some unscrupulous gits feigning pretence as EndSARS protesters also attempted to assassinate him. All this happened within the remaining period of twenty one out of thirty months of Oyetola's governance of the state.
Surprisingly however, the governor appeared unperturbed, as he remained focused on the development of his state. Within this frame of time, Oyetola had built bridges, rehabilitated and constructed many roads, commissioned more than eleven fire service stations, rejuvenated 332 Primary Health Centres and equipped them with state of heart facilities, including drugs, and spent more than 60 billion and 30 billion on payment of salaries and pensions respectively, despite the paucity of funds in the state.
The _BusinessDay_ newspaper's conferment of "Year 2020 Best Governor Award" on Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola was borne out of its objective assessment of the governor's rare proficiency and expertise in prudent financial management of business of governance in the state. The paper had earlier, in its special financial analytical reports, revealed the insolvency of Osun hinting that the state under Oyetola's high debt profile inheritance spent #92 naira on loan servicing out of every #100 naira accruing to the state.
How the governor is able to navigate through the muddy fiscal quagmire and continues to record unprecedented strides without recourse to borrowing, as if all is well in the state, remains a puzzle.
Congratulations to the people of Osun as it continues to leverage on the sanctity of Oyetola's personality as the helmsman and machinery in the state's polity.
Jimoh Olorede ([email protected]), media writer, college don, communication scholar and researcher.
Post a Comment